Torn Apart
by The Documentor
Summary: No one had ever understood what went on between the forbidden attractions they’d shared even they didn’t really take the time to analyse what had originally occurred. Sequel to Broken Bridges. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Welcome back, dear friends, to this saga. Sorry if it has taken me a while to write, for a few weeks I had just about enough motivation to write one sentence before I got distracted. But, here it is, the completed sequel to "Broken Bridges". I hope that it reaches the same standard as Broken Bridges did and that it hasn't caught a case of sequel-itis. You know what I mean. Also, if you haven't read "Broken Bridges", I suggest that you do before reading this because I doubt that this will make much sense if you haven't. Please review, I love to know what people think of my stories. Flames aren't as loved as reviews. Thanks again for clicking. Without further annoying ado...

**Torn Apart**

She was torn. He was waiting for her but she clung on to what she knew. She couldn't look back. Allison Cameron held the blue phone in her hand, shaking violently as the man on the other end tried to calm her.

"I just thought that," Daniel Phelps gulped, somehow sensing her tension, "when you came back that you, me and Ellie could, you know…"

"We'll be here for a little longer than we expected," she rushed for an explanation, "I'm sorry, Daniel."

"No, no," he was shaking too now, "that's…that's fine. Just be safe."

"Okay," she whispered as he clumsily hung up the phone, she heard the click but she didn't feel it as her eyes stared out the office window. She only been in Princeton for the first time in ten years for two days now, still shaken over the sudden forgiveness she'd received from one Gregory House. She was over the moon with joy that Ellie and her father got on so well so far, even though they hadn't had much time to bond closely. But now she stood unsteadily, studying the carpet in the office and a feeling in the pit of her stomach rising to the top. She caressed the lace over her stomach in a soothing motion and she heard the telltale scratching of the door opening to the office. She spun around, a solemn look on her face and Ellie ran her hand down the side of the door. Ellie didn't speak a word, just smiling at her mother and walking towards her with intention to wrap her arms around her mother. Allison put on a smile and rubbed her daughter's back, soothing her as she felt her smile into her stomach.

"Are you happy to be here, Mom?" Ellie asked, bringing her face from her stomach and looking her mother in her ocean eyes.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" Allison brushed a stray hair from Ellie's face as she smiled, nodding and turning away from her mother.

"I don't know, you just seem…tense here," Ellie walked towards the couch, "like there's some weird omen over you."

"You're too smart for your own good, my girl," Allison smiled and sat down on Greg's coveted leather chair. Before long, sleep flooded her as she curled up on the chair and she let the ideas that flew about her head rest for a little while.

----------------------

"Allison?"

"Wha?"

"Graceful."

Robert held a hand over her foetus position on the leather chair and she groggily stretched out her limbs in front of him, knowing that he wouldn't care.

"Cuddy wants you."

"Wha?"

"Yeah, she's still head honcho here. She wants to speak to you."

"Oh," Allison blushed, feeling idiotic as she left the seat warm and stood up, "what for?"

"No idea."

"Allison! What brings you back to Jersey?"

"Too many things to mention," taking Lisa Cuddy's hug with a small smile, Allison sat down before the desk.

"Too many or too few to distinguish yourself?" Her bright blue eyes looked inquisitive and Allison just shook her head.

"Anyway, was this just to catch up?"

"Actually," I have a proposal for you." Lisa smiled, clasping her hands together and spoke of her 'proposal' to Allison. Her face brightened when Lisa finished and her face sank when she thought harder about it.

"I'll need to think about it. Ask my daughter, things like that." At the mention of a daughter, Lisa's eyes widened at the news. They certainly had a lot of catching up to do.

----------------------

The warm water pounded on her back as she ran her hand through her wet hair. She hadn't showered the morning before and it felt nice to clean her of all the bad feelings she'd been having. She let her hair hang over the white fluffy towel she searched the big bathroom for as she let the steam roll out the door after her. She heard Ellie take a yawn as she walked through the hallway to Greg's room and smirked when she had an idea.

She felt like she'd never moved as she curled up on Greg's soft suede armchair, a red blanket around her and a cup of soup in her hand. Ellie was spread out on the couch as they waited for Greg to finish his marathon toilet trip and cook them dinner. She sighed, a small smile taking over her face as she snuggled further into the couch and wondered if Wilson minded at all that she and Ellie were spending a few nights at Greg's. She knew that Wilson would be over there anyway, having a few beers more often than not, but she still felt a little bad when Wilson had prepared for them to only stay one night. She decided that the couch was comfortable and she focused on the talking sponge on the screen until her cell phone started to vibrate. She let out a long breath, pulling off the blanket and reaching for the phone, which played a soft tune of the piano. She flicked it open and sighed when she read the caller ID.

"Hi Daniel," she said, he was the last person she wanted to speak to.

"Hey there, Ally," he said warmly, "I just wanted to check…it was Princeton Plainsboro that you said he worked at?"

"Yes Daniel," she wasn't in the mood to call him by his nickname and this made Ellie raise her eyebrow, "I might not always be there though, so it's better to call me by my cell phone." Greg limped back into the room and he gave her a look that inquiring look, she just shook her head.

"Yeah, I know. Just checking. Thanks love." She hummed and closed the phone, sighing heavily. Ellie asked who that was but she didn't respond, simply curling up again and throwing Ellie her phone to check for herself.

His eyes widened when he realised that she was wearing a daggy old Eagles t-shirt of his. Even though he admitted that she looked fantastic in it, he still shook his head at her. "Girls shouldn't be allowed to wear guys t-shirts unless they've 'spent the night' if you know what I mean."

"Oh, but I have," she looked at him with a sultry look in her eyes and dipped her finger into the freshly opened take out box. He laughed at her mockingly and they heard a resounding disgusted sound come from the next room.

"You shouldn't understand, young lady!" He called out to his daughter, shaking his head at the giggling Allison in front of him.

She took the last mouthful of fried rice childishly and shoved it in her mouth. Her parents looked at her with oval shaped mouths but still let her get away with it. Greg had received a phone call earlier about what, Allison didn't know. He still had that smirk on his face and he put his chopsticks together as he sighed.

"Okay, either get out of that ridiculously good-looking shirt or put some jeans on," he looked at Allison who blushed lightly, "we're going out."

"Where?" She questioned but he simply hummed and shook his head.

Less than ten minutes later, her hair was blowing in the swift wind creating by the red Corvette they sped along the dark street in. She was still oblivious to where they were going but as the car turned into a narrow dirt street, she couldn't hide the smile erupting on her face.

"No. Way." She said in surprise and nearly jumped from the car as the flashing lights and neon signs greeted her to the New Jersey Monster Truck Rally. Ellie raised her eyebrow at her mother's excitement and Greg let out a brief roar of laughter at her squealing.

"We're here," he opened the door sharply and rolled his eyes at her squeak.

-------------------

After a nice night together, Allison adorned the coveted trucker hat that Greg always bought on the night to commemorate the visit. She was smiling as Ellie's eyes were wide open, taking in all the lights and unlikely magic of the monster truck rally with her mouth open ajar. They all had candy floss in their hands and Greg had switched his normal work cane for a sleek, stained wood one with a silver handle, polished in all it's glory which he only used for special occasions. This one, where his daughter jeered and revelled in the ambience of such improbable places, was particularly special.

"Are you gonna finish that?" He smirked, looking over at Allison who smirked as well, joyfully handing over her candy to him and playing along in his game of remembrance.

"Gravedigger never disappoints," she laughed, pulling her hands under her jacket and smiling at Greg who understood her reference and smiled back.

"We saw Doomsday, Mom, what are you talking about?" Ellie sounded like she knew exactly what she was talking about and tapped at her mother's hat, which had the trucks name in clear writing. Allison and Greg both looked over at her serious face and laughed at her, she just shrugged and skipped ahead.

"Do you want me to find some good pick up on the way home?" Greg suggested dinner and Allison let out a breath.

"How about you show your daughter that you can in fact cook?" She cocked her head to one side and he gave a hum, acknowledging her point.

"Pasta, pasta and more pasta," Allison raided Greg's cupboards when they arrive home whilst Ellie and Greg were watching another cartoon.

"Did you find the pasta all right?" Greg called back and Allison walked out into the lounge room, putting a packet of spaghetti and a jar of bolognaise paste on his chest.

"Yeah, now you cook it." She reached over him and grabbed the remote, sitting between him and Ellie as he sighed. Hoisting himself up, she watched him limping back to the kitchen and she noticed that his limp looked softened again, like it used to be when she lived in Jersey.

Half an hour later, Ellie was slurping up a tomato paste covered string of pasta and had splashes of the sauce all around her mouth.

"This is great, Greg," Allison looked over at a childish looking Greg who slurped up his spaghetti worse than a two year old would. She giggled and he made a pouting face, looking idiotically offended at her laughter. Even after ten long years, he was still the same two-year-old she used to work for. She savoured the moment, knowing that things like these didn't come easy in her lifetime. A soft knock came from the door and Greg hobbled over to the close door. He looked through the peephole and raised his eyebrow.

"Allison," he said, she nodded and walked over to him, "you know this guy?"


	2. Chapter 2

Howdy. Hope you like this chapter. It's a bit short and it's once again in three parts. I forgot to add in the first chapter that House ain't mine. Ngaw. Make love, not lawsuits. Please review, it makes me buzz with joy. Thanks again for clicking :)

_Last time in Torn Apart..._

* * *

Even after ten long years, he was still the same two-year-old she used to work for. She savoured the moment, knowing that things like these didn't come easy in her lifetime. A soft knock came from the door and Greg hobbled over to the close door. He looked through the peephole and raised his eyebrow. 

"Allison," he said, she nodded and walked over to him, "you know this guy?"

* * *

"We've been over this, Daniel," Allison stood in the doorway, a disgruntled Greg hovering behind her and an intimidated Daniel in front of her.

"What have we been over? I just thought I would surprise you here," he smiled weakly, lifting some flowers from behind him and she sighed at the weak high-school cliché, "surprise?"

"The surprise is over," Greg held his hand up over Allison on the door, ready to slam it shut once she moved behind him.

"Can I just plead my case?"

"What case is there to plead?" Allison snapped, frustrated with herself for telling him Greg's name so he could find where she was in the phone book.

"I just came to tell you that," he gulped, scared by the looming man covering Allison's shadow, "I love you."

"Sorry, what was your name?" Greg seethed, narrowing his eyes.

"Daniel," he muttered sheepishly.

"Daniel," he raised his voice slightly, venom dripping from the words, "would you excuse us for a moment?"

"I thin-" The door was slammed on his face and Daniel was left out in the dark hallway whilst Allison was backed up against the door.

"What the hell is going on?" Greg spoke slowly and clearly, fuming with this new and unknown difficulty.

"I've known Daniel for four years, he's been there for me," she drew in a long and disjointed breath when she saw his eyes turn to slits, "I swear to you that he has never made a…a…confession such as this _ever _to me."

"Then why now? Have you been the upfront one again and showed him that you love him-"

"No!" She raised her voice, she was so close to him now that her struggled breath was warming his stubbled neck, "I don't love him."

"Then why does he love you?"

"I wouldn't know," she tried to hold strong but she felt faint, "how would I ever know?"

"He…he…" Greg let out a small grunt of frustration but turned around to a frightened Ellie who looked with her bright blue eyes on her parents who were too close for comfort against the door, "Elliot, take the CD I bought you today and go listen to it in my room." She nodded rapidly and ran back down the hallway, quietly shutting the door behind her.

"Was this a spiritual trip that was meant to include me?"

"Yes," she thought and with a shaking hand tucked away a stray strand of hair from her ear, "yes and no."

"How can it be 'yes and no'," he tried hard not to lose his temper with her with his child around, "you either wanted to sort things out with me or just come to get drunk with Wilson."

"I came with intentions to show Elliot where her mother once lived and I wanted to visit Chase and Foreman as well as…you know."

"What?" He raised his hand, in some weird attempt to reach out and touch her but when she averted her eyes and reached out to grab his hand, he couldn't help but momentarily close his eyes at the touch. He ran his thumb around the back of her palm and she sighed, feeling defeated.

"I admit, I did want to clear things with you."

"Why?" He moved a little closer still, barely inches from her when another tap came from the door and Allison swivelled around, opening it slightly. Daniel pushed his way back in, his tie lose and hanging from his neck as he set down the flowers on the mantelpiece. Greg swarmed and poised a snarky comment but Allison cut in the second before.

"Daniel, why did you come?" She whispered, her hands shaking by her hips.

"I thought that Jersey would be," he looked up to the ceiling, narrowly avoiding the daggers Greg pinned in his neck, "nicer."

"Nicer for what?" Greg couldn't help himself, he was full of questions after this revelation.

"Nicer to ask," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue case. Allison swayed in a fainting motion and Greg caught her quickly, barely holding himself stable as she rapidly regained her stature. Before she could say anything to the man standing behind her ready to mutilate the man standing in front of her with a rock shining at her, she turned to the door and left. Greg hoisted the door further open only to catch a glance of her hair going down the street. He screamed her name down the suburban street but she kept running, tears pouring down her face. He sighed, running his hand through his thinning hair and shuddering with the thought of his daughter being unaware in the next room. The only trouble was, she was wide eyed with tears brimming in the corners.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Last part, last chapter, aww. I hope all that have read this have liked it but I won't know unless you review and I love it when I do get reviews. It makes me fly up to the moon, I'm sure those who have had amazing reviews have had the same high.

Anyway, this chapter might get a little confusing if you miss the story up to it. This story is compatible up until Need To Know in all things non-Cameron related. Basically, erase everything that Cameron has done since she left in Role Model. Stacy has happened...that's all that's really relevant in this part of the story but just bear that in mind. Otherwise, it'll get a little confusing.

Once again, thank you for reading: )

* * *

James sighed, running his fingers up and down the glass of brandy on the bar. This place was his and Greg's favourite haunt and since his divorce had taken a leaf from his book, buying some hard liquor. He'd once told him that if you were going to drink, you might as well do it with some taste and so he'd used the same line whenever someone questioned him. He'd only had the odd girlfriend over the years but still felt lonely in his dark apartment some nights. He was looking forward to having Allison and his niece company but he could understand that they wanted to be with Greg after lightly patching up the wounds. Or at least, he thought this as he looked over a few stools away from his and saw a mass of auburn hair matted on the bar with a hand attached to an amber glass.

"Allison?" He said weakly, the alcohol going to his head even after simply two sips of his glass. She simply sobbed, lifting up her head lightly to give him a look of despair before taking down a small sip of her glass.

"Yeah, that's me." She said softly, running her fingers to make patterns in the condensation on the bench.

"How long have you been here?" He reached out a hand to the small of her back and she obliged, moving over the stools and making a long, circular pattern over her finger drawings.

"Not long."

"What happened? I swear I'll beat that geezer to death with his own ca-" James started to feel anger roar up his throat but she shook her head, cutting into his sentence.

"He's done nothing wrong," she took in a long drawled breath, trying to hold in tears that were already running down her face.

"What's going on?"

"You've met my friend, Daniel?" She asked him, he nodded in intrigue.

"He turned up at House's tonight, just after we had dinner. I had no idea and he told me that he loved me. Greg went insane; I didn't know what to do. I let him back in to tell him to leave and he took out a ring from his pocket." Tears welled in her eyes and she sobbed, James bringing her closer in his arms.

"You've done nothing wrong, Ally. It's not your fault."

"I was such an idiot to tell him House's name," her tears were starting to soak a neat patch into James' shirt but he didn't care, "I just…"

"What?"

She stopped sobbing suddenly. Her tears halted on their marches down her face and she lifted her porcelain face from his light blue shirt. Her eyes were a light red on her pale face and she brought a shaking hand to her cheeks to try and wipe away her tears. For a second, she couldn't remember what she was going to say but when she found the words again, she simply sighed and looked back at her wet hands.

"I love him."

"Love who?" James wasn't confused often but this time, she rolled her eyes in the fact that she need to explain to him such simple a concept.

"I love Greg. I feel like I've walked out on him again, just like I did all those years ago…except for the small fact that he didn't care."

"Oh God," it was James' turn to roll his eyes, looking at the downtrodden woman in his arms and was amazed at how much she didn't know, "he cared."

"He didn't even hold my hand."

"He wha-"

"The night I left, I went to shake his hand but he just stared it like it was a foreign object. It broke me because he just looked away like he didn't care."

"So that was it…"

"What?" Now she questioned him, looking up with innocent eyes and he sighed.

"Just after you left, I found him here looking horrible. He just told me that he couldn't hold something and wouldn't tell me anymore. Allison, he was miserable after you left. Until Stacy came anyway."

"Stacy?"

"His ex. I'm sure you knew about her…" She shook her head sheepishly and sniffed a little. He sighed, he wasn't sure how to explain the concept of 'Stacy' to her.

"She came back, wanting her husband to be treated. Greg was already upset with himself and her coming back was even worse. Cuddy gave her a job in an attempt to patch things up between them but it backfired when they started getting closer and closer up until the point where she was considering leaving her husband. Strangely, he turned her down at the last minute in a gallant effort to protect both of them. Within days, she was gone. Things haven't been the same since."

"Oh yeah, I was so special to him." She whispered sarcastically, snuggling further into James' grasp. He rested his chin on her forehead and he just wished that he could explain the depression his best friend endured after two of the three women in his life left him and the last one left lost trust in him. She'd never seemed like she trusted him but she used to think that he had something to prove but she'd lost faith in him. James wanted her to know that she really meant something to his best friend but he couldn't as he rubbed her back with her face nestled into his chest.

"I don't know what else to say."

"And the handsome hero came swooning in, guns a blazing 'It wasn't me!'" A dark voice came from behind and Allison's eyes swung around to hit the bright blue ones she'd been dreaming of for hours now.

He looked fuming at James who simply let go of Allison who looked at Greg in shock. She shortly saw Ellie's head poke in through the door but a bartender whom just finished his shift pushed her back out again. Greg looked at Allison with a soft look in his eyes, something different to the fury that was written all over his face. She knew she had screwed up but she couldn't do a thing about it, even though she wished so much that she could. He could see it in her eyes, those beautiful emerald eyes that looked at him in fear when a scuttling Daniel came up behind them.

"What's going on?" He irritated both of them at that time and Greg wanted nothing more than to simply beat his lights out with his cane.

"Greg, I'm sorry," Allison whispered and he gave an exasperated sigh, his eyes wide and disbelieving. She pulled her hands further into her body, trying hard not to tremble as she sat cold on the barstool. Daniel's bright green eyes looked frightened as he stepped forward quickly and brought his hand to Allison's face, wiping away softly her tears. Greg brought up his cane and pushed him back, more roughly than he had intended.

"I waited for you, Allison. I waited a long time." He said sharply, holding his cane against Daniel's chest and now his face started to redden.

"What about Stacy?" She whispered with a hint of anger in her voice.

"She was different." He growled, almost stumbling over his words and Daniel pushed away the cane.

"Ally," he tried to rest a hand on her cold cheek, "don't listen to him."

"You're just pushing your luck aren't you?" Greg pushed the cane back into Daniel's stomach, this time pushing him to the ground and Greg held him there with the point of his cane. Allison was now trembling violently as Greg pinned the man down on the ground with a malicious smirk on his face that made Allison want to wither.

"For Christ's sake, House!" She stood up, taking the cane off him sharply and turning around to give it to James. "What is this going to achieve?"

"Oh, I don't know-"

"You're certainly a protective uncle," Daniel whimpered, still crouching on the ground.

"I'm a what?" He looked at Allison in disbelief and she shook her head, giving him a look that made him understand why she had lied to her good friend.

"Daniel," she raised her voice, making the whole scene stop in front of her words. She suddenly felt like she had such control over the situation, but when she turned on her heel to watch Greg's eyes, she lost that completely. No one had ever understood what went on between the forbidden attractions they'd shared; even they didn't really take the time to analyse what had originally occurred. It had just happened, there was nothing more to it. But was there?

"He's not my uncle." She said flatly, Daniel displayed a look of confusion that she correctly predicted would grow when she told him the news. "He's Ellie's father."

"He's…" He was at a loss. His mouth was left slightly ajar as he stood up, brushing himself off like he was trying to contain some of whatever dignity was left to be his. His chin was left heightened as he sighed, trying to hold himself as he stepped forward, close to Allison. She felt stilted, her breathing turned to stone as he nodded at her look of obstinacy.

"I'll go home, then. I'll see you later Allison." He almost whispered, leaving his handprint on her shoulder and time seemed to slow as he turned his back and left. A small smirk crept slowly on Greg's face, the sound of sweet victory filled his ears but it quickly disappeared as Allison gracelessly sat back down on the barstool. She took a glance at the now concerned Greg, resting a hand on her shoulder, covering the marks left by retreated souls.

-------------------------

The sun shined in through the thin curtains, blinding all those who happened to glance its direction. The red stung through Allison's eyelids as they opened to meet the fresh sunlight. Turning over to block the sun, she was greeted with Greg's not so fresh breath on her neck. She smiled warmly, picking up her body and sitting up against the bedposts. She pulled the deep green blanket up with her; she suddenly felt angelic with a touch of a devil inside her as her long auburn hair fell down her curves. She felt as though she deserved a cigarette to be draping from the side of her mouth and the smoke to be barrelling in patterns above her head but she had long since forgotten the taste the tobacco gave her. She silently thanked James for offering to keep Ellie for the night so that Greg and she could figure things out to themselves.

She sighed mournfully; looking through the paper-thin curtains and the sun covered every inch of her bared skin above the blankets covers. She smiled lightly, the edges of her mouth quirking up and she spread her hand over the ripples in the soft fabric.

He softly opened his eyes, even in the bright of the sun, his piercing blue eyes stung through the light. He looked up and saw her. This angelic figure looking out in thought over his humble room and he suddenly felt this sense of pride as he was assured in the fact that she was his. The sun bounced off her porcelain skin and her emerald eyes glinted soulfully as he covered her hand with his.

"Good morning," she looked down at his face; he looked remarkably like a five-year-old caught with his finger in the cookie jar and the satisfaction of finally getting that cookie.

"Why do we indulge ourselves in meaningless pleasantries?" He replied, picking up his head before seething and reaching over for the amber bottle.

"It is a good morning, be it a pleasantry or not," she watched his face curdle as the small white pods he just took slid down his throat and she slid back down a little further under the covers.

"The sun is blinding, you call that good?"

"It's warm, that's one thing," she laughed a little, she hadn't laughed in what seemed like years and it made him smile too when she did. He just hummed in response and closed his eyes again. She leant forward over the covers, stretching out her arms and she yawned, more like a sigh than expelling a great deal of air. Her back curved like a cats and she too closed her eyes at the sensation of her hair falling over her bare back. She folded her arms and entwined the blanket with it as she turned her head to look at the reclined form of Greg.

"Do you want to know what Cuddy wanted me for yesterday?" She said softly, he raised one eyelid in question and nodded.

"Apparently, the head of Immunology is retiring soon and she asked me if I'd like to take over." She smiled and both of his eyes snapped open.

"Are you going to take it?" He asked simply, Allison smiled and leant back again, rolling her head towards his. In a swift movement, she kissed him softly and he pulled his arms over her waist. When she parted from him, she looked him sweetly in the eye and smiled coyly. She brought her soft hand to his face and caressed the rough stubble on his face.

"Yeah. I think I will."


End file.
